CHAPTER ONE:Conservatives Before and After Earth Day

EXCERPT FROM PAGE 20

“By the mid-1970s, oil crises and a slowing economy sapped environmentalism of some of its popular appeal: in a faltering economy, fewer Americans had much enthusiasm for environmental regulations that might impede growth. The economic anxieties of the 1970s presented conservatives with an opportunity to accomplish what had long eluded them: win the White House. To do so, Republicans began to reverse many of their positions on environmental protection. Reagan, who by the time of his presidential run in 1980 had spent two decades honing his conservative pitch—largely focused on the toxicity of government regulation and the blessings of American free enterprise—added caustic dismissals of environmental regulation to his campaign speeches, inaugurating a new partisan era of environmental politics.”

Primary Sources ​

1964

Source: C-SPAN

Ronald Reagan “A Time for Choosing” Speech [video excerpt]| Transcript​Ronald Reagan supported Barry Goldwater for president in 1964. In a speech in support of Goldwater in October 1964, Reagan stressed the importance of small government and individual liberty. Reagan’s message propelled him into the national spotlight as an important figure in the Republican Party.

1970

Source: Marion S. Trikosko (Library of Congress)

Barry Goldwater The Conscience of A Majority excerpt In 1969, Barry Goldwater returned to the U.S. Senate after stepping away to run for president in 1964. While in the Senate, Goldwater had a mixed record on environmental protection. He opposed the Wilderness Act of 1964, but co-sponsored the Senate bill that later became the Clean Air Act of 1970. In his 1970 book The Conscience of A Majority, Goldwater stood in support of a “pollution free environment,” which required individual and institutional attention. ​

Source: NARA

President Nixon announces the EPA | PDFIn January 1969, a massive oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, California forced Nixon and his administration to confront environmental problems just as Nixon’s first term as president began. Seven months after Earth Day in April 1970, Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency.

Source: Mary C. Rabbitt (USGS)

“THE OCEANS AND THE ATMOSPHERE ARE INTERACTING PARTS OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEM UPON WHICH WE DEPEND NOT ONLY FOR THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES, BUT FOR LIFE ITSELF” ​- NIXON

1971

Source: Charles O’Rear (EPA)

​Ruckelshaus Speech on (second) Earth Day ​On the second Earth Day in April 1971, Nixon’s EPA Administrator William Ruckelshaus delivered a riveting speech to a crowd at Ohio State University. In his address, Ruckelshaus emphasized the need to move beyond awareness of environmental dangers and into an era of reform and action. ​

Click to download

Powell MemoSoon-to-be Supreme Court justice Lewis Powell wrote this memo for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1971 as conservatives grew concerned about the growing influence of liberals and an expanding regulatory state. It offered conservatives a roadmap for exerting their political power in the defense of individualism and free enterprise.

President NixonVetoStatementontheClean Water Act | PDFAfter the success of the Clean Air Act in 1970, a bill to ameliorate water quality known as the Clean Water Act passed through Congress. Prior to the introduction of the bill, 70% of industrial waste received no treatment before being dumped into waterways. Despite strong bipartisan support, Nixon claimed the $24 billion price tag was too high and would place an undue burden on industries. In the attached document, Nixon announces his decision to veto the bill. ​​Congress acted quickly to overturn the veto.

1977

Source: Miller Center (University of Virginia)

President Carter Address to the Nation on Energy [video]|TranscriptIn his 1977 speech, Jimmy Carter famously proclaimed that combatting the energy crisis was the “moral equivalent of war.” Carter outlined plans for the United States to reduce oil consumption, protect the environment, and conserve resources while continuing to support economic growth and industry. His speech stood in stark contrast to Ronald Reagan, who believed that environmental protections hampered American productivity.

Source: Library of Congress

1980

Source: C-SPAN

Ronald Reagan speech from 1980 campaign [video excerpt]| Transcript​After an era of environmental progress in the 1970s, Ronald Reagan’s acceptance speech at the 1980 Republican National Convention showed his clear opposition to conservation and the energy crisis. Reagan emphasized the importance of American coal and natural resources and blamed Democrats for cooking up an “indigestible economic stew” that was stifling productivity. This speech marked the beginning of the Republican reversal. ​

Julian Simon’s “Life on Earth is Improving” The Washington Post article In contrast to Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 book, Julian Simon, a professor of economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana, argued that entrepreneurship and innovation would solve ailments resulting from a rising human population. His 1980 The Washington Post article critiqued the need for conservation of natural resources. ​​

“WE HAVE ENDED THE WAR ON AMERICAN ENERGY — AND WE HAVE ENDED THE WAR ON CLEAN COAL” - TRUMP

Discussion Questions

What are some reasons why the Republican Party had a stronger claim to the “Environmental Party” than the Democrats up until the early 1970’s?

​In what ways were the roots of modern conservatism to be found in the 1930’s? In what ways did conservatism only really emerge later?

Rather than ideology, what identity was more representative of congressional support for environmental reform?

In the 1960’s, John Saylor was a Pennsylvania Republican who strongly supported the coal industry, and Barry Goldwater was the leading Republican conservative who generally opposed government regulations. Why were Republicans such as Saylor and Goldwater supporters of environmental protection?

How did Walter Hickel and the Nixon administration react to the Santa Barbara oil spill? ​How did the early environmental crisis of the 1970’s affect the Nixon administration?

Why did Nixon waver on his commitment to an environmental agenda?

Why did President Nixon veto the Clean Water Act in 1972? Why did Congress override his veto? What insight does that offer into early U.S. environmental politics?

Although Reagan was one of the leading conservatives in the Republican Party in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, as governor of California he set strict air quality standards, expanded the state parks system, and blocked the development of dams and highways. Why did a conservative such as Reagan support environmental protections in California?

In what way did Lewis Powell’s 1971 memo prefigure contemporary conservative strategy?

​How did the early 1970’s oil crisis affect the rise of conservatism and concerns about the environment?